Montana ​wildlife connectivity

More than 365 million animals are killed, 29,000 humans injured, and $8.4 billion in damages incurred every year in the United States as a result of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Montana has the second-highest incidence in the nation.

From 2019-2022 Adventure Scientists volunteers will cycle 11,000+ miles of Montana's roads, four times per year, recording all roadkill they encounter as well as detailed environmental observations.

Data That Drives Change​

This project aims to bring together ecology researchers and transportation policy makers to improve transportation systems based on an understanding of how roads affect natural landscapes.

The information––including photos, species ID, location, road conditions, nearby infrastructure, and other key data points––will be captured in a smartphone app for analysis and ease of access by all interested parties. ​The sightings recorded by our trained volunteers provide data on several topics of interest to researchers:

Which species are affected, and when

Wildlife travel patterns

Whether roadkill "hotspots" exist, and if so, where

How to reduce vehicle-caused animal deaths​

Our Partners

Our partners at the Montana Department of Transportation and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will use the data to add value to a suite of other data sources to make informed decisions on the planning and implementation of wildlife accommodations intended to reduce wildlife-vehicle conflicts and reduce transportation-related barriers to wildlife movement.

Where We'll Be

The green routes on the map below show the 5,650 miles of Montana roadways to be surveyed during each 10-day data collection event. The black numbers identify each segment in need of volunteers. The right and left sides of each road will be surveyed separately, giving a total of 11,300 miles observed.